Sunday, December 4, 2016

5 Fantastic Wildlife Sightings at Rhino River Lodge

One of my favourite questions to ask a game ranger is “What has been your favourite wildlife sighting so far?”
After all, surely they’d have some epic stories to tell after
spending several hours out in the bush each day. However, to my dismay,
the rangers often come up blank. It’s not that they haven’t witnessed
anything spectacular; on the contrary, rangers witness so many special
sightings that it can be hard to recall them all, let alone pick a
favourite. (Tough life hey?)
Rhino River Lodge Ranger, Kyle Naude’, is one ranger who is
particularly good at recalling sightings. As he is an avid photographer,
Kyle loves to document his sightings while out on game drives and after
several years in the bush, he’s seen a lot!
Prepare to go green with safari envy as Kyle shares his top 5 sightings from his time at Rhino River Lodge so far:

Lion Cubs in the Riverbed

Kyle: “I really enjoy photographing cats, especially when they are
active. At the moment, we have quite a few lion cubs in the reserve
which is providing great photographic opportunities. This is one of my
favorite photographs because it is a reminder of an amazing sighting we
had of two cubs in the riverbed. They were playing, stalking, jumping
and tripping one another, and all this happened around the vehicle!”

Male Cheetah on Patrol

Kyle: “Seeing cheetah is in my top 5 of a ‘must have’ sightings.
These animals are my absolute favourite. Fortunately, we have a male
cheetah that often patrols around the Rhino River Lodge area and
sightings of him are always good. This particular photo was taken when
he was patrolling the southern fence line, alongside two other male
cheetahs from the neighboring reserve.”

Playful Wild Dogs

Kyle: “Wild dogs are always fun to watch. They are very interactive
with one another and there is never a dull sighting. This specific photo
shows just that. After making an impala kill, the excited dogs began
chasing each other around, as well as some nearby vultures that were
trying their luck with the dogs’ kill.”

Leopard on a kill

Kyle: “Although this is not the best photo in the world, it is one of
the best leopard sightings I have ever had. Earlier that afternoon we
had found a dead impala. Not knowing what the cause of death was, I told
all my guests that we will follow up in the evening. When we returned
that night we found this beautiful female leopard feeding on the impala.
Everyone was in awe and we were lucky enough to sit with her for 40
minutes before we decided to leave her to enjoy the rest of her meal.”

Grumpy Black Rhino

Kyle: “Black Rhino, what more do I need to say? I think with at least
70% of the sightings I have had with these amazing animals, I’ve been
mock charged. With their infamous temper, it is always exciting seeing
these animals. On this occasion, I was fortunate enough to capture this
grumpy black rhino making a hard effort to entertain us.”
Never a dull moment at Rhino River Lodge! Armed with his radio and camera, we can’t wait to see what Kyle spots next.

About Me

Our intimate and exclusive lodge is set in the very heart of Zululand against the backdrop of the lovely Lebombo Mountains. Come and join us for a unique bush experience on our private game reserve near Hluhluwe and Mkuze. Feel the weight being lifted from your shoulders from the moment you arrive. Breathe in the fresh aromatic air of the bushveld and feel the pressures of the outside world draining from your being. Heal your soul with starlit nights around the campfire and walk where only animals have trodden for years.